Punjab orders teachers, school staff to get vaccinated

The Punjab School Education Department has ordered teachers, administration and other staff members, of all public and private schools falling under the department’s authority, to get vaccinated against coronavirus by August 21, 2021.

Only vaccinated staffers will be allowed entrance in the school premises after the deadline, said Provincial Minister of Punjab for School Education Murad Raas on Wednesday.

The provincial minister took to Twitter to share the picture of a written notification issued by the ministry.

“All teachers, administration and staff of public and private schools of Punjab to be vaccinated by August 22nd, 2021. Any individual without a vaccination certificate after the stated date will NOT be allowed in the school premises. Please follow the issued SOPs,” wrote Raas, on his official Twitter account.

The notification said that the directives for immediate vaccination of the schools staff have been issued in pursuance of what was agreed in a meeting with the National Command and Operation Centre on Wednesday.

“Pursuant to the discussion […], it is hereby ordered that the un-vaccinated employees of the School Education Department shall not be allowed to enter into any school/office after August 21, 2021,” read the notification.

Punjab to open schools with  50% attendance

The directives were issued after the Punjab government decided to reopen schools in a staggered manner, with 50% attendance, following Federal Minister for Education Shafqat Mehmood's statement allowing educational institutions across the country to function.

The Inter-Provincial Education Meeting Conference has decided to keep educational institutions across the country open, with the exception of Sindh, where they will remain closed till at least August 8, said Mehmood, earlier in the day.